


The costs of love

by StarrySkies282



Category: Crimes of Grindelwald - Fandom, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst, I think they needed to address that argument, I’m sorry I don’t know what this is, Other, Pre-Movie 2: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Tina And Queenie, im also very bad at titles, that magazine article
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 11:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17079293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarrySkies282/pseuds/StarrySkies282
Summary: It was a bright little building, bustling with activity, people coming in and out, a few people sitting at the tables, trying out some of Jacob’s creations, others marvelling at his craftsmanship.Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to Tina as she surveyed the bakery, observing Jacob and his interactions.That was until she saw the distinctively niffler-shaped pastries on the counter.“Mercy Lewis,” muttered Tina. “Piquery’s gonna have a field day if she finds out.” And it wasn’t just that. Seeing the niffler served as a reminder— a painful reminder— of Newt.





	The costs of love

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fic in a while, and also my first one for the Crimes of Grindelwald. Enjoy x

“Keep an eye on him, Goldstein.” Madam Picquery said to Tina in one of her first debriefing meetings as reinstated Auror. “Your sister I hear became rather… close to the no-maj and it seems he was involved in Mr Scamander’s recent escapades. I’ll expect full reports, just to be sure, Miss Goldstein.”

“Yes Madam President,” replied Tina, wondering how she would keep this from her sister as she stood up to leave.

“Oh, and Miss Goldstein, remember the law.” The president stated, locking eyes with Tina.

 

The sky had darkened by the time she returned to the small apartment she shared with her sister. The familiar smells of Queenie’s cooking enveloped her as she hung up her coat and moved towards the fireplace, warming her hands: it had been a bitterly cold day.

 “Oh hey Teen, how was your day?”

“Ah, you know, busy. There’s been so much to do since Grindelwald’s arrest. We’ve been liaising with the European ministries for intelligence but—”

“Oh Teenie, you skipped lunch again?” Queenie asked, reading her sister’s mind.

Tina tried to speak, to defend herself, but her sister got there first.

“Here, sit down. Soup’s almost done.”

While Queenie bustled around, preparing the meal, Tina’s thoughts turned to Newt, dangerous, she knew, as Queenie would pick up on them in an instant. But nevertheless, she let her mind wander. She thought fondly of his last letter. Perhaps there’d be another soon. It had been a while since the last, but that was probably because he was busy preparing for the release of the book, which she knew was soon. And then, although she had not admitted it yet, she could look forward to his promised visit.

“Oh hey, honey, I’m sure he’ll write soon,” said Queenie, responding to her sister’s thoughts while she enchanted the soup to spoon itself into bowls.

An owl swooped in through the open window, depositing a letter and a rather garish-looking magazine on the table.

Tina looked up, a hopeful smile spreading across her face, and then vanishing as she realised it was just one of Queenie’s magazines and a letter about the subscription.

“Oh, that’ll be that English magazine— I don’t know why I haven’t cancelled the subscription… it’s so unreliable,” Queenie said, trying to skate over her sister’s apparent disappointment: she had learnt that there were some moments when it was best to act as though she hadn’t heard anything.

But Tina wasn’t listening. Something on the cover had caught her eye: “Beast tamer Newt Scamander to wed- see page 12.”

With disbelief and a sickening feeling, she turned the page to find a moving picture of Newt smiling up at her, and next to him, the unmistakable face of Leta Lestrange.

“Beast tamer, Newt Scamander, whose book Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them is due for release next week, has recently announced his engagement to high school sweetheart Leta Lestrange…”

Tina couldn’t read any more. She stood up abruptly and left the room, letting the door bang shut behind her.

Queenie turned, with a look of distress on her face, and saw the magazine lying open on the table. “Oh Teenie,” she whispered.

Alone in the bedroom she shared with her sister, Tina was tormented by anger and sadness. This was why he hadn’t written… He wasn’t coming to New York. She remembered his words: “I don’t really know what Leta likes anymore because, well, people change.” Evidently not thought Tina bitterly. Merlin, this was why she didn’t date.

***

**London**

“Banned!”Exclaimed Newt. “From international travel? And having all my correspondences monitored?”

“It was all I could bargain for Newt. Just be thankful it wasn’t Azkaban”

“But this way I won’t be able to complete any final research for the board ok or visit Tina to give her a copy like I promised!” Sputtered Newt. “I can’t even write to her because everything is being monitored— especially any connections I have in New York”

“Well perhaps if you joined the ministry it would help to smooth things over”

“Theseus, I’ve told you countless times: I can’t be a part of something I don’t believe in.”

***

**A** **week** **later**

It was a bright little building, bustling with activity, people coming in and out, a few people sitting at the tables, trying out some of Jacob’s creations, others marvelling at his craftsmanship.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to Tina as she surveyed the bakery, observing Jacob and his interactions.

That was until she saw the distinctively niffler-shaped pastries on the counter.

“Mercy Lewis,” muttered Tina. “Piquery’s gonna have a field day if she finds out.” And it wasn’t just that. Seeing the niffler served as a reminder— a painful reminder— of Newt.

“Say, Mr Kowalski,” called Tina, trying to sound casual, “what are these supposed to be shaped like?”

“Oh, um, well, I dunno, I sort of just thought of them— in a dream I think, but it was so vivid… maybe… a mole…” trailed off Jacob, gazing into the distance.

“Ah well, thanks anyway.”

“Anytime, doll.”

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Tina saw a pink coat amongst the crowd: Queenie.

_Oh_ _no_ thought Tina.

So this is where she’s been disappearing off to… it all made sense now.

Tina didn’t know whether to confront her or not; she knew she’d have to sooner or later— Queenie would know that Tina knew. All the same, Tina wished she hadn’t seen her there.

 

That evening, the silence was louder than anything else. Tina was desperately trying to block Queenie out from her mind, reciting every spell she could remember, but she had always been terrible at occlumency.

“Teenie?” Queenie said, breaking the silence.

“Yes?” Answered Tina, slightly wary now.

“I know you saw me at Jacob’s bakery today and—”

So, they were doing this now.

“Queenie you know you’re not supposed to be seeing him,” broke in Tina.

“I know but—”

“It’s against the law.”

“—but I think he’s remembering,” continued Queenie, pretending she didn’t hear Tina, or her thoughts.

Tina took a sharp intake of breath: this was a new development. She had suspected something since the niffler, but now Queenie had voiced her suspicion.

“And how much of that was down to you?” Asked Tina, in hindsight rather more coldly than she meant.

“How could—” began her younger sister Tina saw the hurt in her eyes.

“I only meant that sometimes, in these situations, people invent their own truth, kid themselves they believe it— because they want to.”

“No Tina, I know exactly what you meant.”

“Queenie you know relationships with no-majs are against the law… if anyone found out, you’d be put in jail to say the least. Madam Picquery has asked me to keep an eye on Jacob— make sure you’re not having any contact with him— what am I supposed to tell her?”

Queenie steadied her voice: “don’t tell her,” she said finally, almost pleading. “She doesn’t need to know”

“But Queenie—“

“You’re my sister,” replied Queenie brokenly. “And you don’t want me to have what everyone else can have. I’m not afraid of the consequences. Don’t you think I’ve thought it through?”

“Queenie, I just want you to be safe. I made a promise to mother and father to look after you— keep you safe.”

“And don’t you think they would have wanted me to be happy too? Just because Newt’s moved on doesn’t mean that you should be able to keep me from happiness.”

“And I’m not trying to do that,” said Tina, voice shaking.

“Well you’re doing a pretty good job of showing that, aren’t you?”

“Queenie, I just need to know you’ll be safe, that you won’t do anything reckless. I’m leaving for Europe tomorrow, I’m going to be stationed in Paris. I need to know you’ll be okay.”

“When were you planning on telling me that? In a letter when you were halfway across the Atlantic? All you care for is your career, Tina Goldstein, that’s what this is all about.”

“Hey, Queenie, that’s not being fair!”

“Really? _I’m_ not being fair?”

“It was short notice, planned last minute, a classified mission, I have briefing tomorrow.”

“Right.” Queenie turned away, disappointment in her eyes and left the room, barricading herself in the bedroom.

Tina turned and collapsed onto the sofa: this was not how she had wanted the evening to go.

A thump made Tina look up. Queenie had hexed her suitcase into the living room: evidently a sign of where she would be sleeping tonight. Tina sighed.

With a wave of her wand, she packed a few personal possessions and some items of clothing.

After placing her case in the hall and grabbing a blanket from the hall cupboard, she eventually fell into a fitful sleep, populated by dreams of her sister, and, much to her annoyance, Newt.

***

She awoke in the dark, hoping the whole argument had been some sort of horrible dream, only to be bought back to reality by the fact that she was sleeping on the sofa, not in her bed. She looked at her watch which she hadn’t even removed: 5:20 am. Well, there was no point trying to get back to sleep.

Her briefing was scheduled for 9am, and she could probably find something to do before then. There was always paper work.

With a heavy heart, she dressed, picked up her case, and left the apartment, wishing with all of her heart that things could return to be as simple as they once were.


End file.
